There’s no season like summer when it comes to having fun outside, for obvious reasons, but unless you want a nasty sunburn, you should be spending time indoors, too. Fortunately, Blade is here for our readers with our picks of the most promising new movies and shows hitting our various screens over the next season, so you’ll have something good to watch while you recoup from all that shiny vitamin D.
JUNE
THE NEIGHBOR (limited theaters 6/2, digital & DVD 6/6): From Italian director Pasquale Marrazzo comes this festival-fresh LGBTQ drama about two young men who begin an intense romance after having a terrifying experience together, and the hate and the homophobia of the parents that comes to light before their new love. It sounds grim, but it comes with a number of strong reviews to recommend it and acclaimed performances by Michelle Costabile and Jacopo Costantini, plus a score by award-winning composer Teho Teardo (“House of Gucci,” “Il Divo”).
HORSEPLAY (limited theaters 6/2, digital and DVD 6/13) – Another LGBTQ queer film festival favorite, this is a thriller from Argentina, about a group of friends at a summer get-together; their hard-partying fun leads to horseplay (naturally), which (also naturally) stirs up other problems, and submerged secrets, feelings, and jealousy begin to push tensions to a violent breaking point. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Marco Berger and described as “a look that pushes the boundaries of masculinity, homophobia and sexuality”, it stars Bruno Giganti, Agustín Machta, Franco De La Puente and Ivan Masliah Taekwondo. It also looks very sexy, which makes us expect a lot more.
THE IDOL (HBO, 4/6) – “Euphoria” creator Dan Levinson is also behind this highly anticipated new series, starring Lily-Rose Depp as a rising pop star who falls under the spell of a Svengali-style self-help guru. played by none other than The Weeknd (aka Abel Tesfaye). It also stars queer fan favorite and “Schitt’s Creek” co-creator Dan Levy., along with Jane Adams, Hari Nef, and Troye Sivan, among others. Already controversial thanks to a behind-the-scenes whistleblower who told Rolling Stone that it “borders on sexual torture porn,” you can bet there will be plenty of eyes, queer and otherwise, airing this one.
ALL MAN: THE INTERNATIONAL MALE STORY (Digital, 6/6) – For a certain generation of gay men, the words “International Male” evoke memories of racing home from high school to get that precious sexy catalog out of the mailbox before their peers. parents. came to his house. Now, this long-awaited documentary, which was an Official Selection at the Tribeca and Outfest Film Festivals, finally arrives to shed light on the story of this iconic touchstone of queer history, charting “the journey of an unlikely band likely from outsiders”. who “designed one of the most sought-after mail-order catalogs of the ’70s and ’80s, forever changing the way men look at themselves, each other, and how the world would look at them.” Matt Bomer, Simon Doonan and Carson Kressley are among the participating talking heads, but the real draw is the wealth of archival footage showcasing some of the most outrageously gay (and irresistible) fashions ever created.
BLUE JEAN (In theaters, 9/9) – British filmmaker Georgia Oakley received high praise for this 2022 historical drama, now making its official debut in the United States. Set in 1988 England, as the Conservative Thatcher government is about to pass stigmatizing anti-gay and lesbian legislation, it features a powerful performance by Rosy McEwen as a gym teacher whose double closet life is threatened by the arrival of a new student. Nominated for a BAFTA, it won the Venice Film Festival’s People’s Choice Award and four British Independent Film Awards, making it a smash hit and a must-see.
WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS (FX, 6/13) – The popular vampire mockumentary, along with its breakout star, queer fan favorite Harvey Guillén, returns for a fifth season.
JAGGED MIND (Hulu, 6/15) – Directed by Kelley Kali and inspired by her own short film “First Date,” this feature-length queer thriller follows a woman (Maisie Richardson-Sellers) who, haunted by blackouts and strange visions, becomes finds herself trapped in a series of time loops that may or may not be connected to her mysterious new girlfriend (Shannon Woodward). This will have its world premiere at the American Black Film Festival in Miami Beach the day before its broadcast drop.
AND JUST LIKE THAT… (Max, 6/22) – The Samantha-less remake of “Sex and the City” brings back the rest of the scandalous cast for a second season.
EVERY BODY (In theaters 6/30) – Julie Cohen directed this eye-opening documentary, which investigates the lives of intersex people, telling the stories of three people who have overcome childhood shame, secrecy and non-consensual surgeries to thrive as Adults. after coming out as their authentic selves; it is also woven into a “stranger-than-fiction” story of medical abuse, told in exclusive footage from the NBC News archives, which helps shed some light on the modern treatment of intersex people. We’re definitely on board with anything that brings visibility to one of the most invisible sections of our community, especially when it’s also aimed at reducing stigma.
JULY
THEATER CAMP (In theaters 7/14) – This new film from co-directors Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman is an original comedy starring Tony Award winner Ben Platt (“Dear Evan Hansen”) opposite Gordon as a pair of instructors BFFs at the run-down titular institution, who join forces with her loyal production manager (Noah Galvin, Platt’s real-life boyfriend) to rescue her from the clueless tech brother (Jimmy Tatro) brought in to run him. As? Why, with a musical, of course! Written by Platt, Gordon, Galvin and Leiberman, it also stars Patti Harrison, Nathan Lee Graham, Ayo Edebiri, Owen Thiele, Alan Kim, Alexander Bello, Bailee Bonick, Kyndra Sanchez, Donovan Colan, Vivienne Sachs, Quinn Titcomb, Caroline Aaron , and the always hilarious Amy Sedaris. Sign up
BARBIE (In Theaters, 7/21) – Let’s face it, this wickedly cheesy, over-the-top comedy from the brilliant Greta Gerwig will likely be the movie of the year, at least for a solid percentage of queer audiences, who are sure to pass on the popcorn. opening weekend as they watch Margot Robbie’s Barbie and Ryan Gosling’s Ken visit the real world together. And since collections have always been a part of the “Barbie” game, Gerwig’s satirical walk offers a variety of other Ken and Barbie, including Kingsley Ben-Adir, Simu Liu, Ncuti Gatwa and Scott Evans as Ken, Hari Nef, Issa Rae, Kate McKinnon, Dua Lipa, Emma Mackey, Ana Cruz Kayne, Sharon Rooney, Alexandra Shipp, and Nicola Coughlan. Truth be told, if they release a Barbie camper set, we’ll be in heaven.
KOKOMO CITY (In theaters 7/28) – Executive Lena Waithe produced this “thrillingly entertaining and refreshingly unfiltered” documentary that follows the lives of four Black transgender sex workers in Atlanta and New York City. Winner of Sundance’s NEXT Innovator Award and NEXT Audience Awards, he gives his quartet of subjects ample opportunity to spill the tea on their profession, and they don’t hold back. As a bonus, it’s the directorial debut of producer/singer/songwriter D. Smith, who made history as the first trans woman on an unscripted prime-time television show.
AUGUST
HEARTSTOPPER (Netflix, 3/8) – The highly anticipated return of Nick and Charlie (Kit Connor and Joe Locke), the most irresistibly adorable young sweetheart couple of all time, for a second season of this beloved UK series that is likely to will have everyone immediately clamoring for a third.
ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING (Hulu, 8/8) – Another returning favorite, the third season of this deliciously charming mix of characters, comedy and crime podcasts comes with the addition of a new premium ingredient: Meryl Streep (real, not imitation). ) – for an added treat. Who could resist?
RED, WHITE AND ROYAL BLUE (Prime, 8/11) – “Heartstopper” fans who have enjoyed the new season in one go and are hungry for more might find a fitting solution when this film directed by Matthew Lopez and produced by by Greg Berlanti. The adaptation of YA bestseller from non-binary author Casey McQuiston comes out a week later. It’s an implausible but infectiously sweet rom-com that imagines a same-sex romance between America’s first child and the heir to the British throne, with young newcomers Taylor Zakhar Pérez and Nicholas Galitzine taking the lead roles; it also stars Clifton Collins Jr., Stephen Fry, Sarah Shahi, Rachel Hilson, Ellie Bamber, Aneesh Sheth, and Polo Morin, but frankly, we’re very excited to see Uma Thurman playing the first female president of the United States. Let’s hope that the plot detail is not such an implausible premise.
